In the News

When I was Attorney General, people would frequently ask me to investigate charities they had reason to believe might be ripping off consumers. While my budget didn’t allow me to investigate each case, I could at least tell people to check whether the charity was registered with the Secretary of State as a good indicator of legitimacy. If it was not registered, chances were good it was a fraud!

Until 2013, it was a crime in Arizona for a charity to raise money in our state without first registering with the Secretary of State. But, not anymore!

But the two candidates for secretary of state differ in their approach. And they don’t even agree on what the state can legally do.

The issue has taken center stage as outside groups are pouring millions of dollars into TV commercials and mailers in an effort to influence the race. And with a few exceptions, they are not disclosing the original source of the money because many are organized under the federal Internal Revenue Code under section 501(c)(4).

That designation is reserved for social welfare organizations, which also are allowed to lobby and influence elections. And they need not disclose names of members or donors.

But Goddard, a former attorney general, said he believes Arizona has a right to demand more from them, despite that federal loophole.

Terry Goddard, the Democratic candidate for secretary of state, says he would work to bring independent voters and candidates into the election mainstream. He also responds to questions about his command of costs in the secretary of state's office.

PHOENIX -- The debate Tuesday night for who should be the state's chief election officer turned into a televised spat over religious discrimination.

Republican Michele Reagan found herself on the defensive for voting earlier this year for SB 1062. The measure would have allowed owners of businesses to cite their sincerely held religious beliefs as justification for refusing to provide service to some. It was eventually vetoed by Gov. Jan Brewer as unnecessary -- and after some lawmakers of both parties who had voted for it had second thoughts. That includes Reagan.

"Bad vote,'' she conceded during a debate Tuesday night at KAET-TV. Reagan said in her 12 years in the Legislature, she probably cast 10,000 votes.

"So I would say it's probably a little inappropriate, and I would say a little unfair to go through and to cherry pick,'' she said.

The Arizona Secretary of State deals with elections issues and is first in the line of succession to become governor, which has happened several times in our state. Democrat Terry Goddard and Republican Michele Reagan debate the issues as they vie to become the next secretary of state.

THE UNDERCARD — Battle for Ariz. secretary of state becoming front in gay rights fight: Democrat Terry Goddard is going up with an ad today intended to reignite a fierce battle — one that subsumed all of the state’s leadership last year — over a bill that critics said would permit Arizona business owners to deny services to gay people. Although Gov. Jan Brewer ultimately vetoed and killed the bill, the fight left raw divisions. The ad, supported by a $100,000 to $200,000 buy and produced by Goddard’s campaign team, features a lesbian couple speaking to the camera alongside their two children. The pair — Melanie Puskar-Blakely and Tonya Blakely — rip Republican secretary of state nominee Michele Reagan, for supporting the measure as a state senator and say it should disqualify her for higher office. Goddard campaign aides say they hope the ad revives the issue for voters heading into the final weeks of campaign season. The ad is running statewide on cable and broadcast. http://youtu.be/gUvnZWnszt0